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Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 11:44 pm
by Seeker666
Heith, I see crows and ravens as sacred too! I feel they are signs of Death's protection. To me anyway.

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 11:12 am
by Heith
Seeker666 wrote:Heith, I see crows and ravens as sacred too! I feel they are signs of Death's protection. To me anyway.
Just today when I bicycled near the sea, from behind the mountain suddenly tons of crows rose. They seemed to be enjoying the mild and somewhat gloomy weather, riding the winds. I stopped for a moment and observed their games. It was impossible not to feel happy and enthused. Such interesting creatures. :)

I too connect ravens and crows to death. To see a raven feels more special, as they are rare and there is something almost regal about their appearance. I have a couple near where I live, and sometimes I see one circling over the mountaintop, calling to the other. As I'm very into Norse mythology, ravens remind me of Odin and he is a death god, among other things.

I very much feel that to see a raven is a very good sign and indeed, something like you describe. I think ravens see to the other side of the veil. As much of my magical abilities (if such a word can even be used of my things) seem to resonate with death, I feel extremely comfortable with signs and symbols that correspond to death.

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:13 pm
by Seeker666
Heith wrote:
Seeker666 wrote:Heith, I see crows and ravens as sacred too! I feel they are signs of Death's protection. To me anyway.
Just today when I bicycled near the sea, from behind the mountain suddenly tons of crows rose. They seemed to be enjoying the mild and somewhat gloomy weather, riding the winds. I stopped for a moment and observed their games. It was impossible not to feel happy and enthused. Such interesting creatures. :)

I too connect ravens and crows to death. To see a raven feels more special, as they are rare and there is something almost regal about their appearance. I have a couple near where I live, and sometimes I see one circling over the mountaintop, calling to the other. As I'm very into Norse mythology, ravens remind me of Odin and he is a death god, among other things.

I very much feel that to see a raven is a very good sign and indeed, something like you describe. I think ravens see to the other side of the veil. As much of my magical abilities (if such a word can even be used of my things) seem to resonate with death, I feel extremely comfortable with signs and symbols that correspond to death.

Very much so! It's odd that two ravens seem to follow me daily. When I see them I usually just say "morning Huginn, Munnin." And most of the time they caw back. Then fly off."

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:28 am
by Heith
Seeker666 wrote: Very much so! It's odd that two ravens seem to follow me daily. When I see them I usually just say "morning Huginn, Munnin." And most of the time they caw back. Then fly off."
Hah! I've a crow that does something like that on occasion. I always wave- well, a habit of mine, to greet birds.

I take it that you are interested of Norse mythology as well?

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 2:57 pm
by Seeker666
I take it that you are interested of Norse mythology as well?[/quote]

Most definitely! My favorites are of Odin and and The Rokkr.
A person on one of the forums I'm on once said that Odin was the "high god" and therefore our enemy
However, Odin has many chthonic and deathly attributes that mark him as an ally. Unlawful as a god of thieves, wrathful as lord of battle and berserker fury, Saturnian and deathly as wanderer and lord of the wild hunt. Master of the souls of the mighty dead. Not to mention his myths make it clear that both power and wisdom requires sacrifice, and nothing in this world is free.

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:21 am
by Heith
I feel that I would like to discuss the above, but as it's very much offtopic- I will quote you, and reply on the Norse Mythology / Runes - thread. I hope this is alright :)

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 1:43 pm
by Nefastos
Ravens are important symbol for me too - as are the other birds. But where I live & have lived, they are seldom seen.

I believe there's spirit symbolism (or manifestation) in every animal, & ravens bring to my mind this passage from the book Demons' Cube, chapter four:

"The Thrones present the power of intellect over the patterns of the world of ideas. The lord of Thrones is Saturn, whose angel of dominion is called Zafkiel. Harmonious, lucid and meaningul action of intellect also means being in contact with this class of spirits. When it becomes despoiled the cold intellect gives birth to Cutters, which are known as the corpse-eating ravens in the Tree of Death. They are the beings of hard and loveless separation, in whom meaning and rationality have drifted apart. Because of this inner void they miss altogether the conglomerating factor, and so the principle of these powers is the analytical deconstruction not because of the spirit, but because of the absolute value of the logistics itself. The name of the dominating formula is herein Baal, the essence of the authority of form."


The idea here is that the scavenger beasts present emotions that deal with the things that are already dealt with. But the mystery with the entities of the Tree of Death is always more complicated than that. For the creatures which take care of the bodies are very valuable for life & health, absorbing the tissue (be it mental or physical) that needs to be purified by the process of mortification. So, it's far from being evil, although identifying oneself with it might bring about some challenges.

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 10:21 am
by Thelithiz
I'm not sure what I should think about animal symbols. Often features they represent has nothing to do with the animals's true nature, for example sheeps being stupid, cats selfish bastards, and crows beings of strife. They doesn't know about this themselves. I like and appreciate animals as themselves and individuals, but of course sybmolism of different species is most interesting... Other symbols like pentagrams, cross, triangles, dragon and runes are more meaningful for me, and their meanins open to me a little at a time. Sometimes they appear certain moments, but I don't know what to think about it either :)

And sorry my bad english, I hope you get the point.

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 11:01 am
by Heith
I understand what you mean, but would like to comment that these kind of "pigs are smelly, sheep are stupid" are nothing but exoteric interpretations of said animals, and often (/always) incorrect, or heavily culturally coloured. For example, the relationship to dogs is very different in, say, Finland, than in China.

I can appreciate all animals -even humans at times- but there are a few species which I don't like. I think it's very common for humans to mirror their own life's hopes or fears into animals. I also do this, and often portray my emotions in animal symbolism. I also soon begin to see animal like characteristics in people whom I like and observe. It's a sign of affection from me to see someone as an animal, because coming from me it means that I see them.

One good example of the problematics towards the animal world is our relationship to large predators which adopts some very emotional forms. An animal can become a target for our deepest feelings, for example, how much wolves are hated and feared. This has nothing to do with common sense or facts.

I believe also a lot has to do with what we are taught when we are little and how different animals are portrayed in folk tales and nature documentaries. I've often seen that people get very emotional and even angry when a predator catches prey in a nature documentary, especially if the predator is a "ugly and mean" animal, like a reptile or a shark. There is something similar to people's relationship to things that are "evil or bad", that they can't understand. In here, Satan comes into play, and it may be good to ponder Satan as that "ugly and mean" animal, that at the end of the day has the right to exist, raise its young, and when inspected closely, can actually be one of the most fascinating, beautiful and gentle beings around.
Thelithiz wrote: And sorry my bad english, I hope you get the point.
No need to be sorry, you are perfectly understandable. :)

Re: Symbols & symbolism in your life

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:14 pm
by Thelithiz
Heith wrote:Satan comes into play, and it may be good to ponder Satan as that "ugly and mean" animal, that at the end of the day has the right to exist, raise its young, and when inspected closely, can actually be one of the most fascinating, beautiful and gentle beings around.
Exactly! Even (and at least) an animal without ability of compassion cannot be evil, it just fulfills it's true nature, which is not encrusted by sediments, like humans restricted by consepts. We could learn from animals in some cases. Can the sea be evil, for example? It kills, but no one can call it to account.

Still I have allways liked foxes too, tricsters in japanese and finnish folklore. And transformativeness of butterfly, as well as the phoenix and dragon/serpent. And owls (it's funny how we finns may call stupid person an owl).